Make It in Great Britain exhibition opens

Business Secretary Vince Cable opened the Make it in Great Britain exhibition on Tuesday at the Science Museum in London to coincide with the London Olympics and show young people the rewarding career opportunities available in British manufacturing.
 
The exhibition is the culmination of the Government’s Make it in Great Britain campaign and will feature a mix of displays from 39 businesses of all sizes including iconic names like McLaren, Mars, BAE and Rolls Royce. The campaign was launched last year to change outdated perceptions of manufacturing, including dispelling the myth that the UK ‘doesn’t make anything anymore’.
 
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:  “Generating £137billion each year and employing 2.5 million people, manufacturing is a vital part of the UK’s economy. Perceptions of the industry are outdated and need to change if we are going to attract the talent needed to support manufacturing in the long term. Both Government and industry have a role to play, which is why we launched the Make it in Great Britain campaign and are hosting this exhibition.”
 
The Business Secretary joined Business Minister Mark Prisk to launch the Make it in Great Britain Exhibition, which is taking place for six weeks during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
 
Business Minister Mark Prisk added  “I’m delighted to launch this exhibition, as it will showcase some of the exciting innovations of today. We have a mixture of iconic names, but also small and medium sized businesses like Elfab and Ultra Global that are leaders in their field, and have come together to show the public what modern manufacturing is all about. 
 
“There is a range of rewarding career opportunities available, requiring advanced skills and expertise. I would encourage people to come along to the exhibition and see first hand what manufacturing can offer them.”
 
Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum said: “The Science Museum and its world leading collections demonstrate some of the greatest engineering achievements of the last 200 years, and the Make it in Great Britain exhibition is no exception, highlighting the exciting places that UK manufacturing could take us in the next few years and beyond. 
 
 Entry is free to the Make it in Great Britain exhibition and it will be on display until 9 September 2012.